Festivalgoers support schools and TAFE

The Moocooboola Festival provided an excellent opportunity for activists to have conversations with the constituents of Hunters Hill about the Stop TAFE Cuts and Gonski campaigns.

The combination of Gonski green and vivid blue Stop TAFE Cuts campaign material proved a winner as people collected information and shared their thoughts on how essential public education was to them personally and to the community as a whole.

Stop TAFE Cuts balloons were the biggest hit among the young children and gave activists a chance to talk to the parents about Gonski and TAFE. Balloon supplies quickly ran out but brochures on both campaigns were handed out until late in the afternoon.

More than 500 signatures were collected on the Stop TAFE Cuts campaign sheet and similar numbers were recorded on the Gonski sheets.

The day was full-on but flew by quickly as the public was so engaged with the issues. It was heartening to hear many people express concern about recent government policy changes and the impacts on our more vulnerable in society. In particular, there was a developing awareness of the TAFE funding crisis as people were quite vocal when it came to protecting their local TAFE college.

As the Gonski van "bumped out" ten hours after the campaign stall first took shape, exhausted activists headed home pleased with a good day’s work.